g54 M Chap. 42. an Expofitìon upon theBook of Jos. Vert. î. Some conceive it was a good while after God bad donewith yob, that he took his friends to cask, and they ground it upon thofe words, in the 8th verle, Tale unto you (even Bullocks, and!even 'Zara:, andgo to my,fervent fob: And it is laid at the 9th verfe, That they went and did according to what the Lord bad comman- ded. Hence they colle&, that Jobs friends wereeither returned quite home, orfar upon their way, when the Lord fpake this. But this reafonhuh no force in it, toprove that Jobs friends were abfent; and therefore I rather conclude, that God fpake to, and gave this judgement of Jobs friends (as it were) upon the place, as loon ashe had donewith Yob; for 'cis more than proba- ble, that fobs friends flayed to hear both Elihu's fpeech, and the difcourfe which the Lordmade to Job out of the whirlwind ; and that as loon as he haddone, and Job fubmicted, he prefently paf- fed this fentence for the comfort of Job, and for the convidtion of his friends. So then, as loon as the Lord had fpoken thele words, and fi- nifhed his bufnefs with Job, when he had humbled yob, when Jobhad repented and confeffed his fault, in uttering things that Seal he underflood not, God proceeded prefently to l withYobs three friends. There are three things which give evidence to this. Firfl, The Lord would not let them continue long in their hard opinion of Yob. . Secondly, If they had continued any long time unreproved, they might poffibly have gloried as if they nad got the vi ory, and had the better of Yob. Thirdly, They might have railed Tome undue report of Yob, and have blamed him among others where they came, as they had done to his face ; therefore, the Lord to prevent their con- tinuing in any hard opinion of Yob, or that theyhad got the bet- ter of Job, or to flop their 'mouths from giving forth any hard words of fob, prefently called them to an account, gave them to underfland, that they had fpoken emits, and he,as it were,with the fame breath comforted fob, and convi&edhis thre e friends. Hence note, Firfi; God loth every thing in its properfenfon, That which is feafonably done, is doubly done. Words infeit. fee,
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